4()G SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



amined aro U. radicans, parietina, and crenulata, all of which ho con- 

 siders ought properly to bo placed under Schizogonium. In U. radicans 

 the chloroloucites appear completely to fill up the cell-cavity, and do 

 not constitute a parietal plate, as in truo species of Ulothrix. They 

 have tho form of irregular stars, characteristic of Prasiola and Schizo- 

 gonium, and similar to that in Zijgncma. Tho filament usually consists 

 of a single row of cells, less often of several, but never takes tho truo 

 ribbon-liko form of Prasiola. It differs moreover from P. crispa in tho 

 presenco of rhizoids ; and tho author believes that its identification as a 

 form of development of that alga is founded on a mistake. U. parietina 

 W. & N. he identifies with Schizogonium Eabh. The author also 

 disputes tho identity asserted by some writers between Ulothrix and 

 Pleurococcus. 



Schizogonium is characterized by a filamentous or ribbon-shaped 

 thallus, consisting in tho latter case of two collateral rows of cells, 

 rarely a larger number, and formed by longitudinal septation of the 

 filament. Prasiola, on the other hand, has a foliaceous thallus, derived 

 directly and by various processes from reproductive cells or propagula. 

 P. crispa partakes of the characters of both genera. 



New Species of Biddulphia from Fiji. — Mr. F. Kitton writes 

 that in a gathering made at Vuna Point, Island of Taviuna, Fiji, by Mr. 

 H. B. Brady (which he placed at Mr. Kitton's disposal), he has found a 

 new species of Biddulphia in considerable abundance, and which he 

 describes as follows : — 



Biddulphia echinata n. sp. F. K. Frustule quadrangular, cingulum 

 punctate, valves broadly elliptical or suborbicular, very convex, processes 

 conspicuous, divergent, with a few short spines at the base, margin 

 distinctly spinous, upper surface more or less covered with triangular 

 scales (spines ?) attached by one of the sides, inner surface finely punc- 

 tate, length from 0-0032 to 0-0085 in., breadth 0-0025 to 0-0075 in. 



Mr. Kitton remarks that this species seems to be very subject to 

 abnormal development ; he has seen it circular with three equidistant 

 processes, triangular ditto, oblong with two imperfectly developed 

 processes at one end, and a perfect one at the other. 



Fossil Diatoms of Hungary.* — Dr. J. Fantocsek publishes the first 

 part of an illustrated work on the fossil diatoms of Hungary, which 

 comprises fossil forms from the Tertiary strata. They include a number 

 of remarkable forms, the genus Trinacria being largely represented. 

 The species included in this part are all marine, and furnish evidence of 

 the existence during the Tertiary period of a tropical ocean, bounded by 

 the chain of the Carpathians, the mountains of Bitraria, and the Balkans. 



Iiicnenes. 



Culture of Lichen-forming Ascomycetes without Algse.j — Herr A. 

 Moller has repeated the experiments of Brefeld and others on the nature 

 of the so-called " spermatia " of lichens, and has come to the same con- 

 clusion that the earlier view which regarded them as male reproductive 

 organs is erroneous. He was able, in a number of cases, to induce 

 germination of these " spermatia," with the production of a mycelium, 



* Pautocsek, Dr. J., 'Beitr. z. Kermtniss d. fossilcn Bacillarieu Ungarns,' Th. 1. 

 See Journ. de Micrograpliie, xi. (1887) p. 484. 



t Unters. But. lust. K. Akad. Muuchen, 1887, 52 pp. 



